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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very cute and I really liked the ending
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfect depiction of how depression works no matter who you are. Through the eyes of a 17 year boy with identity crisis, pressure to be successful, expectations of parents, self-isolating in the name of being focused all the while achieving a beautiful teen love story in slow burn and rivalry.
I loved Mickey. He was clinically depressed, snarky, prickly and exhausted and I could feel it. And Jeysen is more playful, understanding and loves provoking Mickey. They were perfect for each other. I loved Mickey’s growth a lot.
While I loved how things got resolved, I still wished the last 25% or so was slower and deeper. The kind of open ending did not bother me as they both are just 18 and starting professional athletic careers, it made sense. I doubt it’s happening but I’d really love to read more about them as a second book on how they navigate their relationship and hockey later in their life. Who knows maybe? I hope.
I loved Mickey. He was clinically depressed, snarky, prickly and exhausted and I could feel it. And Jeysen is more playful, understanding and loves provoking Mickey. They were perfect for each other. I loved Mickey’s growth a lot.
While I loved how things got resolved, I still wished the last 25% or so was slower and deeper. The kind of open ending did not bother me as they both are just 18 and starting professional athletic careers, it made sense. I doubt it’s happening but I’d really love to read more about them as a second book on how they navigate their relationship and hockey later in their life. Who knows maybe? I hope.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't expect this to hit me so hard emotionally but damn, here we are. Mickey's voice perfectly captures being 18 and dealing with depression and the internal tug-of-war of fluid queerness. I do think the ending came a little abruptly - could have used a little more coasting downhill. But overall a great debut and I hope for more from Graziadei.
absolutely loved this book honestly might be my favorite of 2022. i didn’t *love* the end but the rest of the book made up for it. it gave me the same love and energy as red white & royal blue. my one question is why aren’t more people talking about how good this book is???
Huuuuuuggeee s/o to my coworker for recommending this to me!
Although I often find contemporary romance unimaginative and uncompelling, I find that sports romances are almost always the exception to the rule - especially queer hockey romance. I am, and will always be, a Check Please! lover. And this book gives major CP! vibes. If you loved the story/dynamic of Kent & Jack, ohhhh boy is this story for you!
I loved it. There's so much fucking angst & longing & I ate it all up. I think it had the perfect balance of romance angst & daddy issues angst. My only criticism is that I would have liked to see Terzo's family conflicts hashed out a little more, especially between him and Bailey. I just think that there needed to be more conversations between him & his father in order to feel the satisfaction of their relationship growth, even in all its imperfections. Also, based on Mickey's character trajectory, I don't think it really made sense for him to move on from college - it would have made more sense to me if he had chosen his friendships above 1st draft. And it would have made the mystery ending of who gets the first draft pick more interesting because I would have been left with the sense that there was actually a coin toss between the two. Instead it just kinda felt like the book ended without saying what we all ultimately knew to be true.
But overall, the ending didn't ruin the journey for me. I loved the character dynamics of the hocky team, as well as Mickey's sisters. I don't think there will ever be a second book, but if there was, I would definitely pick it up.
Although I often find contemporary romance unimaginative and uncompelling, I find that sports romances are almost always the exception to the rule - especially queer hockey romance. I am, and will always be, a Check Please! lover. And this book gives major CP! vibes. If you loved the story/dynamic of Kent & Jack, ohhhh boy is this story for you!
I loved it. There's so much fucking angst & longing & I ate it all up. I think it had the perfect balance of romance angst & daddy issues angst. My only criticism is that I would have liked to see Terzo's family conflicts hashed out a little more,
But overall, the ending didn't ruin the journey for me. I loved the character dynamics of the hocky team, as well as Mickey's sisters. I don't think there will ever be a second book, but if there was, I would definitely pick it up.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is one of the most charming sports romance books I've ever read-- and I have read so, so many.
Graziadei went all-in on the enemies-to-lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes, breathing originality into every aspect of each character and making it impossible not to root not only for Mickey and Jaysen to get together but for Mickey to find some peace and true happiness with every aspect of his life.
As someone whose knowledge of hockey comes only from what I've read in books, I can't really judge how well that element of the story is, but I can say that it made me almost feel like I was on the ice with them experiencing the highs and lows of the games. And as important an element as the game is to the plot, those moments take a back seat to the times when the characters are interacting and just being college students trying to figure themselves out. This novel is 100% character-driven and that's its greatest strength.
Deep props for managing to show how heavily Mickey's depression weighs on him and affects every aspect of his life without making it so that it drags the reader into the mindset with him. You get to see how it makes him feel but you don't end up as depressed as he is. It's a fine line that not many authors manage. I also appreciated how rationally everyone treats it and that we get to see how differently it affects and shows up in each individual. I would recommend it on the strength of how it deals with mental illness alone.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tom Picasso and he does a great job of infusing the right tone for each scene and character, so much so that I suspect a part of why I enjoyed this one so much was the great job he did in breathing life into Mickey.
Overall, it's a fun ride with both moments of deep introspection and youthful joy. I very highly recommend it.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the excellent early read!
Graziadei went all-in on the enemies-to-lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes, breathing originality into every aspect of each character and making it impossible not to root not only for Mickey and Jaysen to get together but for Mickey to find some peace and true happiness with every aspect of his life.
As someone whose knowledge of hockey comes only from what I've read in books, I can't really judge how well that element of the story is, but I can say that it made me almost feel like I was on the ice with them experiencing the highs and lows of the games. And as important an element as the game is to the plot, those moments take a back seat to the times when the characters are interacting and just being college students trying to figure themselves out. This novel is 100% character-driven and that's its greatest strength.
Deep props for managing to show how heavily Mickey's depression weighs on him and affects every aspect of his life without making it so that it drags the reader into the mindset with him. You get to see how it makes him feel but you don't end up as depressed as he is. It's a fine line that not many authors manage. I also appreciated how rationally everyone treats it and that we get to see how differently it affects and shows up in each individual. I would recommend it on the strength of how it deals with mental illness alone.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tom Picasso and he does a great job of infusing the right tone for each scene and character, so much so that I suspect a part of why I enjoyed this one so much was the great job he did in breathing life into Mickey.
Overall, it's a fun ride with both moments of deep introspection and youthful joy. I very highly recommend it.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the excellent early read!
Genre : LGBTQ+, contemporary, YA
TW : mental health (depression and anxiety), homophobia and sexism in the hockey industry, alcohol use, physical violence, abandonment issues
TW : mental health (depression and anxiety), homophobia and sexism in the hockey industry, alcohol use, physical violence, abandonment issues
I could’ve kept reading this forever tbh.
I laughed I cried I experienced the full range of human emotions.
I know this book doesn’t need a sequel but I want one so bad, because I don’t want to let go off these characters yet.
I laughed I cried I experienced the full range of human emotions.
I know this book doesn’t need a sequel but I want one so bad, because I don’t want to let go off these characters yet.